Cord-winding device



June 29, 1943. G. E. LOFGREN CORD WINDING. DEVICE Filed Jan. 16, 1941' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AZQVVENTCR. 4

' ATTORNEY.

June 29, 1943. G, LOFGREN 2,323,275

CORD WINDING DEVICE Filed Janhle, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I 1.3. Z7

91? 68 1 VENTOR.

A ATTORNEY.

Patented June 29, 1943 CORD-WINDING DEVICE Gustaf Einar Lofgren, Riverside, Conn., assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application January 16, 1941, Serial No. 374,635

3 Claims. 15-246) My invention relates to an improved electric cord-winding device which is especially adapted for use in connection with an enclosed bag type of vacuum cleaner.

In accordance with my invention, the cordwinding device includes a casing which may be secured to the main vacuum cleaner housing in place of the usual closure member at the exhaust end of the cleaner. This closure member is provided with an exhaust air opening to which a hose, vaporizer or the like may be connected and one of the objects of my invention is to construct the cord-winding device with a substantially airtight passageway therethrough which terminates in such an exhaust opening.

Another object of my invention is to provide a separable electrical connection between the cord-winding device and the vacuum cleaner such that, if for any reason it is desirable to remove the cord-winding device, the vacuum cleaner may be used with an ordinary electric cord.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially broken away, of the cord reel in accordance with my invention secured to a vacuum cleaner;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cord reel and 'a portion of the cleaner illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partially broken away, of the cord reel shown in the preceding figures;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on a reduced scale taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of F g. 51

Referring to the drawings, reference character Ill designates generally thecord-winding device in accordance with my invention, while referencecharacter l2 designates generally a known type of vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaner [2 includes an outer housing It made up of a central member l5 and a rear member l8. Suitably supported within the housing is an electric motor 20, on the armature shaft of which are mounted fan rotors 22. A dust bag 24 is disposed within the casing immediately ahead of the fan. 'The forward end of the casing is provided,with a removable closure member 26 formed with an inlet opening 28, which Opening communicates with the interior of the dust bag in well known manner. Runners serve to support the vacuum cleaner horizontally on any horizontal surface, such as a floor.

The rear member ill of the vacuum cleaner housing includesa transverse wall 32 provided with one or more openings 34, as is shown in Fig. 2 which openings serve for the flow therethrough of air discharged from the fan rotors 22. Member I8 is formed with an annular seat 35 which may receive an end cap or the like which is provided with an air exhaust opening to which may be secured a hose in the event it is desired to use the cleaner for blowing purposes. In accordance with my invention, such end cap is removed and replaced by the cord-winding device Ill.

As shown, this device includes an outer substantially cylindrical casing 38, one end of which is open and is dimensioned so as to closely fit within the seat 36. The other end of the casing is formed as a transverse wall 40 in which is formed an exhaust air opening 42. Received within this opening isan annular channel member to which is secured, as by riveting, a plurality of inwardly extending pins 46. The inner ends of these pins are secured to a plate member 48 and slidably supported on the pins is a ring member 50 across which extend a plurality of inclined louvers 52. A spring is disposed between plate 58 and member 50 andtends to force the member 59 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, so that the louvers 52 are disposed immediately within the exhaust opening in order that theair flowing therethrough may be deflected upwardly and away from the surface on which the vacuum cleaner is supported. However, if it is desired to connect a hose or the like to the exhaust opening, the member 50 maybe displaced inwardly by the end of the hose so as to permit the latter to extend within the opening.

in casing 38 and supports a transverse partition 58. For ease of assembly, plate 58 is made sepa of the cylindrical portion engages withinring 64 .so as to form asubstantially airtightseal there- An annular channel member 56 is secured withwith, and consequently with the partition 58.

gage angles I4 welded to the inner side 01' the casing 38.

Rotatably mounted on the cylindrical portion 68- of the hollow body is a cord-winding reel I8 which includes radial flanges 'I8 and 80 between which a cord 9| may be wound. A spiral spring 84 has its inner ends secured to the stationary annular ring 62, while its outer end is secured to an ear 86 which is struck out from the flange 80. Additional ears 8! are likewise struck out from this flange and serve to limit the expansion of the spring 84 when it is unwound.

Secured to flange I8 by means of a plurality of screws 88 is a ring 90 01 Bakelite, hard rubber or other suitable insulating material. This ring is formed with a pair of concentric grooves 92 and 94 within which are received slip rings 96. These slip rings are held in place within the grooves by means of screws 98 which engage threaded mem-- bers I suitably secured as by welding to the backs of the slip rings.

At one point the flange I8 is formed with an oilset portion I02, the outer surface of which bears directly against the insulating ring 90. A block' of insulatingmaterial I04 is disposed within the oflset, and binding screws I06 and I08 pass through this block and engage the slip rings 96 in the grooves 94 and 92, respectively. The bare ends IIO of the conductorscontained within the cord 9| may be secured under the heads of the binding screws, whereby these conductors are connected to the respective slip rings. The end of the cord 9| is preferably secured to the reel by means of a clamp II2 so that the joints between the conductors H0 and the binding screws are relieved of all mechanical strain. A cap II4 of insulating material covers-the heads of the binding screws I06 and I08 and is secured in place by means of a bolt II8.

The conical part I0 or the hollow member 68 is recessed, as is shown at H8, and an insulating block I20 is positioned within the recess. A bolt I22 engages another block of insulating material I24 which carries brushes I26 and I28 which are made of resilient material and positioned so as to have sliding contact with the slip rings in grooves 92 and 94, respectively. The brushe are secured to the block I24 by means of bolts I30, the

inner ends of which engage bars I 32 which extend outwardly beyond the insulating blocks I20 and I24. The outer ends of these bars are provided with binding screws I34 to which are connected conductors I36 which lead to a female the switch. The switch also carries a pair of prongs I48 which are disposed within an opening I50 formed in the transverse wall 32. These prongs are so positioned with respect to-the seat 36 that when the cord-winding device is received in this seat, the plug I38 engages the prongs.

The cord-winding device I0 may be secured to the vacuum cleaner proper by means of knurled nuts I62 which engage bolts suitably secured to the vacuum cleaner housing and which pass through lugs or the like extending from the casing 38.

I1 desired, a filter member I54 may be disposed in the space between the transverse wall 32 and the conical member I0. This filter includes a ring I56 over which are stretched layers of filter cloth I58. Access may be had to this filter by removing the cord-winding device I0 from the vacuum cleaner. I

The above-described device lows:

When it is desired to connect the vacuum cleaner to an electrical outlet, the cord 9| is pulled outwardly through the opening I40 sufflciently to permit the, male plug I60 on the outer end thereof to be inserted in a convenient outlet.

operates as fol- As the cord is pulled out, it causes the reel 16' to be rotated in a direction which winds up the spring 84. Consequently, the spring tends to rotate the reel in a direction to wind up the cord thereon. Hence, if the plug I60 is removed from the outlet, the reel will wind up the cord.

The current from the two conductors of the cord is transmitted through the binding screws I06 and I08 to the slip rings and thence through the brushes I26 and I28 to the screws I30. The current passes'through the latter to the bars I32 and thence to the conductors I36 leading to the plug I38. From her the current passes to the prongs I48 and through the switch I42, assuming the switch to be closed, to the motor 20.

- Rotation of the fan 22 causes air to be drawn into the dust bag 24 through the inlet opening 28. The air passes through the dust bag to the fan and is discharged therefrom through the motor 20 and passes through the opening 34 in the wall 32. From here. it flows through the filter I54 and into the hollow member 66, from which it is discharged into the space within the casing 38 beyond the partition 58. From this space the air is discharged through the outlet 42, the louvers 52 directing it upwardly and away from the floor.

It will be noted that the hollow member as and the partition 58 serve to seal the space which is c occupied by the reel I6 from the air stream. Consequently, there is no possibility of air leakage throughthe opening I40 for the cord or around the connector plug I 38. Consequently, all of the air discharged from the vacuum cleaner must pass through the opening 42. This is of importance when a hose or the like is connected to the opening in order that there shall be no loss in pressure of the air introduced 'into the hose.

If for any reason it would be desirable to remove the cord-winding device, this may be done by unscrewing the nuts I52 and pulling the device horizontally away from the cleaner. This withdraws the casing I 38 from the seat 36 and disen-' for any reason, this may be done readily by removing the screws 12. .Thereupon, the hollow member 66 and partition 58 may be withdrawn from the casing. In this connection, it will be noted that the flanges I8 and are provided with notches I62 which may be aligned with the brackets 14 in order to permit the reel to pass the brackets. The gasket 60 permits the partition 58 to be disengaged from the channel member 56.

while I have shown one more or less specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for purposes of illustration only and that the scope of my invention is not to be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cord-winding device, a substantially cylindrical casing having openings at opposite ends, one of said openings having a diameter substantially equal to that of the casing, a hollow body disposed within said casing and defining at least a portion of an airtight passage connecting said openings, said body having a cylindrical part of less diameter than said casing and a conical part extending therefrom to said casing adjacent.

to said one opening, means entirely within the casing and accessible through said one opening for removably securing said conical part to said casing, a transverse partition secured to the end of said cylindrical part remote from said conical part, means including a gasket providing a separable airtight seal between said partition and said casing, and a reel rotatably mounted on and concentric with said cylindrical part.

2. In a cord-winding device, a substantially cylindrical casing having openings at opposite ends, one of said openings having a diameter substantially equal to that of the casing, a hollow body secured within said casing and defining at casing.

least a portion of an airtight passage connecting said openings, said body having a, cylindrical part of less diameter than said casing and aconical part extending therefrom to said casing adjacent to said one opening, means for removably securing said conical part to the casing, a reel rotatably mounted on and concentric with said cylindrical part adjacent to said conical part, said reel including a radial flange, and electric transmission means including a brush member cooperating with a slip ring member,-one of said members being mounted on said flange and the other member being mounted on said conical part. p

3. In a cord-winding-device for use with an electric vacuum cleaner having a housing formed. with an exhaust air outlet and an electric push connector adjacent thereto, a casing formed with spaced openings, hollow structure defining at least a portion of an airtight passage connecting said openings, a reel within said casing concentric with and rotatably mounted on said structure, an electric cord windable upon said reel, means for removably securing said casing to said housing with said outlet communicating with one-of said openings, an electric push connector fixed to said casing in a position such that it cooperates with the connector on said vacuum cleaner housing when said casing is secured to the housing, and means establishing an electrical connection between said cord and the connector on the GUSTAF EINAR LOFGREN. 

